By Beth Christian
Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
HAMBLETON – Tucker County residents had the opportunity to meet with the public and debate on current issues facing the county and state during a political forum sponsored by The Inter-Mountain, West Virginia Radio of Elkins, WDNE and WELK radio.
Debate moderator Heather Goodwin Henline, publisher and general manager of The Inter-Mountain said the last day to register to vote in Tucker County is April 19 and early voting in the county begins April 27. She said the final day to request an absentee ballot is May 4.
Republican Lowell Moore and Democrat Roxanne D. Tuesing are seeking a seat on the Tucker County Commission. Moore is the incumbent and said he was born and raised in Tucker County.
“I have served five and a half years and I have worked in the county all my life,” Moore said. “After I retired I decided to run for County Commission. I am interested in running for one more term.”
Tuesing said she started her work career the day she graduated from high school, working for Tucker County Schools. She said she took a couple years off to raise her family and went back to work in 1981 with the Tucker County Senior Citizens.
“I have been there ever since,” Tuesing said. “We have grown from a budget of $50,000 a year with four employees to a budget of $1.5 million and more than 100 employees. We started our program with no building and now we manage three buildings. I have dedicated the last 25 years of my life volunteering in Tucker County.”
Moore said he and Tuesing have always worked well together. “November 12, she and I will be the same friends as we are today no matter who wins,” Moore said.
Tuesing agreed. “One of the big assets we have in our county is our people,” Tuesing said. “We stay friends with our people even when we are on opposing sides of the fence. As Lowell said, the day after the election, we are going to be the same people we are here today. We look forward to working together.”
The incumbent for Tucker County Circuit Clerk Donna Jean Bava is retiring, did not file for re-election. Those filing include Democrat David Cooper, Democrat Kim Ledden and Democrat Sharon Moats.
Cooper said he is the Board President for the Tucker Community Foundation and said he has the ability to look at budgets and understand them.
“I am the director at Camp Horseshoe and we have to maintain a budget for our facility,” Cooper said. “I feel I am capable on that level. Also, with Youth in Government in Charleston we teach our kids from all over the state the next step from the Circuit Clerk’s Office when they appeal a case from the Circuit Clerk on to the Supreme Court. We actually get to do that in Charleston in the Supreme Court Chamber.”
Ledden said she is a life-long resident of Tucker County and said she is currently employed at the Tucker County Health Department as a nurse for 18 years.
“I also in the last five years have taken on the position of threat preparedness coordinator,” Ledden said. “I do manage staff and volunteers. I have hours and hours of privacy and confidentiality training. I am dependable, trustworthy and personable and I want to continue at a job in Tucker County where I work with people.”
Moats said she is the Deputy Circuit Clerk and said she has worked there more than 17 years. She said the current Tucker County Circuit Clerk Donna Jean Bava has trained her in office procedures for civil, criminal and juvenile cases.
“I have served under five Circuit Court Judges and Family Court Judges,” Moats said. “I feel my experience in the office gives me the stability and capability to handle anything that may arise in the office. I have worked with the financials as well.”
Cooper said most documents are being put on line, which will make the form more assessable to others who need them.
“When you open the office up like that and allow people in like the news media or the people who need access I think that will be a key role as Circuit Clerk to make sure those items that are necessary to stay confidential remain confidential,” Cooper said.
Ledden said she agrees. “We are more computer oriented to let more people into the office,” Ledden said. “I want to bring a fresh new face in and offer more personable care so people feel welcome coming into the office if they have a person or problem.”
Moats said the office is governed by judicial and the county.
“We are public orientated and we are trying to make the public records more accessible,” Moats said. “We are governed by the Supreme Court on what is public and what is confidential. We just have to follow through with that.”
Tucker County Clerk Sherry Simmons said it has been her pleasure to serve as Tucker County Clerk for 10 years.
“I began my employment with the Clerk’s office in 1994 serving as Deputy Clerk and Chief Deputy Clerk,” Simmons said. “I am working hard to bring the county clerk’s office into the future writing and securing grants for record preservation, digitizing and computerizing the county records as well as proving online access.”
Simmons said the Tucker County Clerk’s office is a vital part of County Government with the worth ethic and devotion to the citizens of Tucker County.
“You can be assured the Office of the County Clerk is moving to the future with records management, systematic administration of record and documented information for its entire life cycle, from the creation, receipt, classification, use, fining, retention and storage, to the final disposition. Preserving records for future generations is one of the most important parts of my job.”
James “Jay” W. Courrier Jr., candidate for Circuit Court Judge Circuit 21 is the current incumbent. He was appointed to this position in December to replace Judge Phillip Jordan who retired. Courrier said he was honored to be one of the two Circuit Court Judges in Tucker County.
“After having more than 18 years of experience in the Prosecuting Attorney Office in Mineral County, I was elected Prosecutor in 2008 and 2012 and served in that capacity until I was appointed in January,” Courrier said.
Courrier said he has found his experience as a Prosecutor prepared him to make tough decisions.
“I feel like I had a good gauge in how to make decisions that were often times very, very tough,” Courrier said. “I think the transition went very smoothly and I have had enough time getting used to the areas.”
Tucker County Assessor candidates include James “Chris” Michael and Greg Stevens. Michael said he is a Republican with more than 20 years of experience in state and local government.
“Positions I have held in that time include Tucker County Appraiser, Tucker County Commissioner, Senior Appraiser for the W.Va. State Tax Department and currently, I am a Monongalia County Appraiser in Morgantown,” Michael said. “The office of the assessor isn’t only about putting values on property it also has a lot of other bookwork and paperwork. I will be good at watching the public dollar.”
Stevens said he is the Democratic candidate for Tucker County Assessor. He said he has worked in the Tucker County Assessor Office for going on six years.
“Most of that time I have been the appraiser for the county,” Stevens said. “I was born here and lived here all my life and I am familiar with the people in the territory. I feel I can help the people here economically and do my best to help the people in the county.”
Stevens said the top issue facing the assessor office is staying within the 90 to 110 percent of market value because they do a mass appraisal instead of an individual appraisal.
“Between Canaan Valley area and the other areas of our county, it is really hard to work and other than that, it is doing the studies the proper way and getting the training and having the staff to work it,” Stevens said. “Right now, it is going pretty well and I am hoping to keep the people there if I were elected because they are good people.”
Michael said there is not a lot of leeway because the office has to follow code.
“The procedures assure you are treating everyone fairly and equally – if that is followed everyone pays a little less overall,” Michael said. “One thing I see is on homestead exemption. There is talk about changing that. It was instituted in 1982 and it was $20,000 on assessed value. It is still the same, and there is some talk about upping that to $30,000. I would work with the state assessors association to see if we could make some changes on that.”
Other candidates participating in the Tucker County debate include incumbent Michele Good and Lori Haynes who are seeking a seat for 22nd Circuit Family Court Judge; Democrat Brian K. Wilfong, incumbent for Tucker County Sheriff running unopposed.
Those running for the House of Delegates District 47 include incumbent Danny Wagner, Republican, and Democrat Ken Auvil; candidates for House of Delegates District 53 are Republican D. R. Buck Jennings, Republican Tony J. Lewis and Democrat Al Tomson.
Candidates filing for the Senate race in District 14 include incumbent Democrat Bob Williams and Republican Randy E. Smith. Two candidates running for Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals joined in Monday’s debate. They were Wayne King and William R. “Bill” Wooton.
